Battles fought nearby

Hello, since I love history and political is kind a... um... boring, I would like to start a thread about battles fought nearby where you live and some of interesting, scary, obscure affrays you or your ancestors were involved in. From small skirmishes where some native Americans scalped a few bluecoats, tribal communities and their settling of disputes to big front lines of mechanized warfare - so even 'My granddad survived Omaha, tee-hee' counts, though I'm thinking more about less known stuff and preferable close to your crib.

I would like to start the thread with small fact of our local history and cast you all back into time of the first world war. When Italy turned its back on the Austro - Hungary and German alliance another front opened in what is now Slovenia. Since it is a pocket country that happened to be about an hour drive from my house.

It was one of the toughest fields fought, perhaps even tougher than Somme or Verdun. Because the lines went over the mountains. At Batognica, the lines were 20 meters apart. Soldiers with bad pedigree went there, in order to be disposed of. Since it was a vital position the Italians started drilling under Austrian lines. They placed a huge mine in an underground chamber. But the drills were heard and Austrian troops made a tunnel to meet them. They found the mine, evacuated and lighted it up. The mountain top was remodeled and it shook for days.

Another problem was snow, which caused much grief in the region. Avalanches took many lives and soldiers even used the snow to set it on the enemy with grenades.

After long and bitter struggle the central forces amassed an army, used the gas and in the fog, natural and poisonous punched through the enemy lines and chased the Italians as far as Piava, where with help of allies the front stabilized to the end. This became known as 'The miracle at Kobarid'.

Some more interesting facts:

Young Erwin Rommel led one of the units.

The most feared warriors among Italians were Bosnians, who used maces like in middle ages - morning stars with spikes and all. If they were captured they were usually shot.

Ernest Hemingway helped Italians run away. He liked it so much he wrote some insignificant book called 'Farewell to arms' or something and was mentioned in Young Indiana Jones.

Every now and than someone finds grenade storage and happily blows himself up while defusing that ****. The area is still littered with remains, routes, fortresses, caverns, bunkers,... though much local people scavenged them for iron - they still do. Not long ago there was a fire in the area and they had to put it out from air, since every now and than there was a major 'BOOOM'.

Vasja Klavora wrote many books on the subject, but I don't know if they were translated. I have the 'Koraki skozi meglo - Footsteps through the mist' in my collection. The internet has much pictures and probably much text also for the interested few.

Slovenia lost much territory in those times as we fought for the side which lost. The lesson was learned and in the times of second world war fierce resistance helped push the Brits and Yanks up the Italian boot.

Balkans was the transitional area so everything that wanted to plunder Italy or pillage east, had to go through. This involved the Ottomans, Crusaders, Attila the Hun,........

Next time some stories about partisans, one of them was my grandfather, while my grandmother worked as a spy. After that we shall go to middle ages and perhaps even further back, much goodness awaits. Please share yours with me.

The best metal festival in the world Metalcamp with new name Metaldays is in Tolmin, right beside the graves of some soldiers.